Several Republican lawmakers have ramped up anti-Muslim comments in recent days with little to no response from House GOP leadership, marking a shift from how party leaders handled similar controversies in previous political eras.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., posted on Monday that 'Muslims don't belong in American society' and called pluralism 'a lie.' The Tennessee Republican, whose seat is in a safe red district, has previously expressed support for banning immigration from Muslim-majority countries and said in a speech last year that 'America is and must always be a Christian nation.'

Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of the American Muslim Advisory Council in Tennessee, said Ogles' rhetoric has been building over time. She estimates Ogles has tens of thousands of Muslim constituents in his district.

'We know this kind of rhetoric leads to more bullying in school, discrimination in the workplace, hate crimes and vandalism against mosques,' Mohyuddin said. 'But it is an election year and these politicians believe if they spew this hateful rhetoric, that they are going to get more votes.'

What the Left Is Saying

Democrats have sharply criticized the anti-Muslim statements and the lack of GOP leadership response. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Islamophobia 'a cancer that must be eradicated from both the Congress and the Country.'

'The shocking silence from Republican leadership is deafening,' Jeffries said.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clarke wrote: 'We already know that Randy Fine and Tommy Tuberville are vile bigots. But what's even worse is the silence from GOP leadership.'

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., has introduced a resolution to censure Ogles and remove him from the Homeland Security Committee. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, called on Speaker Mike Johnson to reprimand Rep. Fine and strip him of committee assignments.

'I've asked before and I'm asking again: @SpeakerJohnson, will you reprimand Rep. Fine? Strip him of his committee assignments? Anything? Or does the Republican caucus condone racism?' Ansari posted on X.

What the Right Is Saying

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended the rhetoric during a press conference at the House GOP's annual retreat, saying there is 'a lot of energy in the country and a lot of popular sentiment that the demand to impose Sharia law in America is a serious problem.'

'That's what animates this,' Johnson said Tuesday. 'It is not about people as Muslims.'

The Speaker's office did not respond to a request for comment about additional anti-Muslim posts from Republican members. A growing number of Republicans have joined the rhetoric, with some doubling down after initial criticism.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, posted 'No more Muslims immigrating to America' on Thursday. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who recently faced criticism for saying he'd choose dogs over Muslims, wrote: 'We need more Islamophobia, not less. Fear of Islam is rational.'

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., posted a photo of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks side-by-side with a photo of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, with the caption: 'The enemy is inside the gates.'

Not all Republicans have remained silent. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., issued a statement saying: 'I have many Muslim constituents, neighbors and friends who have contributed greatly to our community and country. Freedom of religion is a pillar of our nation and broad brush statements like this are offensive and completely inappropriate.'

What the Numbers Show

The 'Sharia-Free America' caucus now has 50 Republican members, a significant expansion of the caucus focused on opposing Islamic law.

Republicans have spent more than $10 million on political TV ads that mention 'Sharia' or 'Islam' in a negative way, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Most of this spending has been in Texas ahead of its primaries.

That $10 million represents roughly 10 times what had been spent on such ads in each of the last four election cycles.

The statements came after several attacks in the U.S., including a shooting at a Virginia college Thursday and an attempted attack on an anti-Muslim protest in New York held outside Mayor Mamdani's home. Authorities say the suspects in the attacks were either inspired by ISIS or had supported the group in the past.

The current response stands in contrast to 2019, when House Republican leadership swiftly condemned Rep. Steve King after he made controversial remarks about white supremacy. Then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said 'that language has no place in America,' and then-No. 3 Republican Liz Cheney said King 'should find another line of work.' The Iowa Republican was stripped of his committee assignments.

The Bottom Line

The silence from GOP leadership on anti-Muslim statements from party members represents a departure from how similar controversies were handled in previous political eras. Republicans spent $10 million on anti-Sharia and anti-Islam advertising — 10 times previous cycle spending — as the 'Sharia-Free America' caucus grew to 50 members.

Gregg Nunziata, executive director of Society for the Rule of Law and a former Senate Republican Policy Committee counsel, said the shift highlights 'two different political eras.'

'There's this kind of new energy on the right that kind of delights in provoking and offending and refuses to apologize,' Nunziata said. 'I think the failure to condemn this is morally cowardly, but it's also politically shortsighted.'

Nunziata noted that the MAGA movement and the coalition that elected Donald Trump 'itself was pluralistic' and that Republicans had success in 2026 partly because they 'significantly expanded their support in minority communities.'

Democrats have introduced a censure resolution against Ogles, though it remains unclear whether they will force a vote on the measure. What to watch: whether Republican leadership faces continued pressure to respond as more members post anti-Muslim statements heading into the 2026 election cycle.